heavy weight cardstock for cover--I usually collage mine firstrulerpencilpunch tool—either a fancy Japanese screw punch or the type witha needle like tip. If you do not have a punch tool, they are veryinexpensive, or you can make your own using a sturdy tapestry/darningneedle with the eye end shoved into the end of a large cork.

2 or 3 book binding clips--those big black clips with the silverflippy sides, available in most office supply sections of stores,or (where else?) any office supply store

scissors

some type of "thread"--waxed linen thread, beading thread,embroidery floss, or narrow ribbon--whatever you want to useto bind your book, cut about 4 times the length ofthe side of your book cover, plus 6 inches or so

What to do:Determine how big you want to make your book, and cut ortear the two cover pieces to size. I like using a ruler asa straight edge and tearing at least one side of the cover,leaving a distressed edge.

Now, select the various papers you’d like to use as pages inyour book. I generally use some ledger paper, vintage blankmusic note paper, handmade papers, some patterned papers, andvellum. You may prefer to have your pages all the same size; I make mine a variety of sizes. You may even want some of thepages to extend beyond the cover of your book—whatever yourpersonal preference.

If you plan to stamp on your pages, or distress the edges,it’s a whole lot easier to do BEFORE binding the book, butI almost always construct the book prior to knowing exactlywhat's going to happen between the pages. If you decide todistress/stamp/etc. before binding, keep in mind that yourpages are going to be bound about ¼ inch in from the left side.

On the front cover of the book, measure in about ¼ inch fromthe book spine, and make a straight line from top to bottom.

About ¼ inch from the top, and ¼ inch from the bottom, makea dot—these will be holes for binding.

Measure halfway between those two dots, and mark another holespot. You may want to stop with three holes, but if you preferfive, measure again, half way between the middle hole and thetwo outside holes, and making two more dots to punch.

After you have your hole spots marked, sandwich your lined-uppages in between the covers, lining up the edges to be bound,and clip together with a couple book binding clips. Place thebook sandwich on a work pad of some kind, such as a folded uptowel, old magazine, or phone book. This is so your don'tscratch up your table and dull your punch tool.

Carefully punch through the hole spots you marked, using thepunch tool. You may need to twist slightly, not just jabstraight through, depending on how thick your pages are.

Thread your tapestry needle and knot the end of your bindingthread/ribbon.

Okay, are you ready for this? Here's a video, which isa whole lot easier to follow than written directionswhen it comes to something like this, but you'll haveto bear with me and be merciful. We've never made avideo before, and I sound like total dork, but at leastyou'll be able to follow along . . . I hope . . . andyes, that is a rooster crowing in the background!

What a brilliant tutorial, you make it look so easy, and there's no way anyone could have put into words what you did on the video. In the words of House 'Monkey see, Monkey do', and that describes me perfctl lol Love your rooster in the background much better than Jeremy Kyle!

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After 3 wonderful years of Gingersnap Creations, the Founding Femmes and Gingers are off on new adventures!

As of April 2012, Gingersnap Creations has transformed into a new blogozine, Unruly PaperArts, complete with tutorials, interviews, reviews, and unruly art and articles by our regular columnists and guest contributors. Come play our monthly Reader Art Quests and have your art featured in the next issue of UPA.